echelon

¹ech·e·lon

noun \ˈe-shə-ˌlän\

Definition of ECHELON

1

a (1) : an arrangement of a body of troops with its units each somewhat to the left or right of the one in the rear like a series of steps (2) : a formation of units or individuals resembling such an echelon <geese flying in echelon> (3) : a flight formation in which each airplane flies at a certain elevation above or below and at a certain distance behind and to the right or left of the airplane ahead b : any of several military units in echelon formation; also : any unit or group acting in a disciplined or organized manner <served in a combat echelon>

2

a : one of a series of levels or grades in an organization or field of activity <involved employees at every echelon> b : a group of individuals at a particular level or grade in an organization <the upper echelons of the bureaucracy>

Examples of ECHELON

1. the lower echelons of the bureaucracy
2. We heard stories of corruption in the upper echelons of the firm.

Origin of ECHELON

French échelon, literally, rung of a ladder, from Old French eschelon, from eschele ladder, from Late Latin scala

First Known Use: 1796

Related to ECHELON

Synonyms: degree, rank, footing, level, place, position, ranking, reach(es), rung, situation, standing, station, status, stratum

Related Words: condition, estate, order, walk; capacity, function; rating

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Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

Rhymes with ECHELON

Abadan, Acheron, Ahriman, aileron, alençon, amazon, Amazon, amnion, and so on, antiphon, Aragon, autobahn, balmacaan, Bantustan, baryon, Basilan, bear down on, beat up on, betatron, biathlon, cabochon, call upon, calutron, carillon, carry-on, carry on, celadon, check up on, chorion, colophon, come upon, Culiacán, cyclotron, decagon, decathlon, demijohn, dine out on, early on, electron, elevon, enteron, epsilon, ethephon, etymon, fall back on, fermion, follow-on, Genghis Khan, get it on, go back on, going on, goings-on, gonfalon, Grand Teton, graviton, hanger-on, harijan, helicon, heptagon, hereupon, hexagon, hold out on, hopping John, Huascarán, hyperon, Isfahan, isochron, Kublai Khan, Kyrgyzstan, lay eyes on, Lebanon, leprechaun, liaison, Lipizzan, load up on, logion, looker-on, macédoine, marathon, Marathon, marzipan, mastodon, Mazatlán, Miquelon, miss out on, morion, move in on, myrmidon, nonagon, noumenon, nucleon, Oberon, octagon, off and on, omicron, Oregon, organon, ostracon, Pakistan, Palawan, pantheon, paragon, Parmesan, parmigiana, Parthenon, peloton, pentagon, pentathlon, Percheron, Phlegethon, Phocion, pick up on, polygon, positron, Procyon, put-upon, Rajasthan, Ramadan, ride herd on, run low on, run out on, run upon, set eyes on, set foot on, set upon, silicon, sneak up on, Süleyman, tachyon, Taiyuan, talkathon, telamon, telethon, thereupon, tie one on, triathlon, Tucumán, upsilon, virion, walkathon, walk out on, whereupon, woebegone, work upon, Yerevan, Xiangtan, Zahedan